Start delayed by wet outfield.

Murali's last Test.

SL won the toss and batted.

1/58. Abhimanyu Mithun snared Dilshan (25) for his first Test wicket.

1/93.

Paranavitana 36*
Sangakkara 26*

2/256 at stumps. Sanga 103.

Paranavitana 110*
Mahela J. 8*

7/424. Paranavitana 111, Mahela 48, Mathews 41, Sharma 3/127.

Herath 41*
Malinga 11*

Century partnership.

7/502.

Herath 68*
Malinga 63*

Malinga out for 64.

Mithun 4/105, Herath 80*.

8/520 declared.

Gambhir, Dravid and Tendulkar gone.

3/140.

Sehwag 85*
Laxman 18*

Murali has 1 wicket.

8/260.

Need 61 more to avoid the follow on.

Sehwag 109, Yuvraj 52, Murali 3/55.

Murali took the 9th. wicket.

... and the last. Finished with 5/63 - his 67th. 5fa.

Now on 797 Test wickets.

India all out 276, trailing by 244.

Follow on enforced.

2/42. Sehwag 31.

Dravid *8
Tendulkar 0*

Whoa! India in deep trouble at stumps on day 4.

5/181 and still 63 behind. Malinga has 3/33. Sachin made 84 and Dravid 44.

Murali got Yuvraj with the last ball of the day. is 2 off 800 wickets.

Malinga (4/35) strikes early on day 5. He bowled Dhoni for 4.

6/187.

Murali traps Bhajji in front.

Needs 1 more wicket from the 3 left.

7/211. India still trails by 33 runs.

8/292 at lunch.
Indian tail wagging a bit.
They've managed to get India a small lead of 48.
Laxman is holding one end up, like he so often does in such situations.

It will still be a miracle if India can save this - they will need rain to wipe out a good part of the day.
Predictions are, at best, only for scattered showers.

Importantly in all this, from a personal stats point of view, Murali is still on 799.
There were a couple of occasions - a shout for an lbw against Lax, a stumping chance of Ishant - but the bottom line is, 799 it is!!!

When Malinga took his 5th. wicket and Laxman was run out for 69, there was 1 chance left.

Murali completed the fairytale by duly taking it.

Ojha nicked to first slip and it was 800 wickets for the little SL champ.

India was all out for 338, a lead of 94.

At tea, SL was 0/63.

Dilshan 37*
Paranavitana 21*

SL wins by 10 wickets.

Dilshan 68* (47 balls)
Paranavitana 23*

I watched the whole day's play today on TV and I must say I felt privileged to be able to do so.

Although I am an Indian - and India lost - I will have very fond memories of the day.
The crowds in Sri Lanka were so much behind Murali, it had to be seen to be believed.

He himself seemed to be hardly worked up about not getting that 800th wicket, but everybody else was pretty worked up about it.

His whole family was in the stadium, as were the families of Sangakkara and Samaraweera. And maybe others too.

There were many tense moments, many moments of drama as that 800th wicket seemed to be almost as elusive as a Pakistani Test win against Australia (though this may be set right at Headingley).

There were some close calls - an lbw against Laxman that was not given, a stumping chance that went to the third umpire but was ruled (rightly) "not out".

Everybody so badly wanted Murali to get that wicket, it must have been embarrassing for the other bowler operating. Malinga, Welegedera, Herath, Dilshan were all trying hard, I guess, NOT to pick up that wicket . Nobody wanted to become the crowd's dartboard target.

Finally when it did come, the relief was palpable. The celebrations were huge. It was one of those cricketing moments when you want to say "I was there".